159. Chased Out Of The Family

One day later, the poisoned she-men at Bamboo Lane had indeed recovered.

Those people were very grateful to Han Tingxuan and Han!

However, since that day, Han Tingxuan and Han had gone “missing”!

The she-men wished that they would express their thanks to them but they could not where to find them.

At this moment, Han Tingxuan, the benefactor that she-men were looking for, was at Mo Yanzhi’s.

"What's the point of poisoning the she-men at Bamboo Lane?" Mo Yanzhi frowned.

Han Tingxuan shrugged. "I don't know. I have them carefully investigated the situation inside the Bamboo Lane. I haven't found anything unusual for the time being. I still don't know how they did it."

Mo Yanzhi frowned even harder. "It is dangerous in the Bamboo Lane. Hubby, don't go there personally in the future, lest you get ambushed."

Han Tingxuan blinked. He walked over and hugged his male wife. "Yanzhi, are you worried that my safety? Or are you jealous?!"

Mo Yanzhi also blinked at Han Tingxuan and joked, "Hubby, what do you think?"

"Haha!" Han Tingxuan laughed. "Yanzhi, you are bad!"

Mo Yanzhi pursed his lips, revealing a small smile. "Is that so?"

Han Tingxuan scratched Mo Yanzhi’s nose. "What do you think?"

At this moment, Zhou You said outside. "Your majesty, Consort Lou pleads for a meeting."

Mo Yanzhi frowned and Han Tingxuan raised an eyebrow.

They exchanged an eye contact before Han Tingxuan said, "Send him in." Of course, he was saying to Mo Yanzhi.

Mo Yanzhi nodded lightly. "Send Consort Lou in."

"Your Majesty," Lou Yanqing bent slightly.

Mo Yanzhi smiled and walked over and helped him up. "What brings you here? I am thinking about visiting you later.”

After he said this, Zhou You closed the door from outside. Then Mo Yanzhi's facial expression turned cold.

Lou Yanqing had long been used to the attitude change of the emperor. He bowed at Han Tingxuan too.

Han Tingxuan smiled and replied with a salute.

"Do you have something important to report?" asked Mo Yanzhi.

Lou Yanqing immediately nodded and had a look at Han Tingxuan. As Mo Yanzhi had no intention of making Han Tingxuan go out, he took out something from his chest pocket.

"Your majesty, I found this under a flowerpot in the imperial garden. It was placed under a flowerpot, revealing a corner. When I spotted it, I told them to take it out.”

Lou Yanqing took out a silk, blue handkerchief which had a few words written on with blood.

It could be written with human blood or animal blood or…just cinnabar.

As Mo Yanzhi was to pick it up, he was stopped by Han Tingxuan.

"Your majesty, please allow me."

Mo Yanzhi frowned but agreed.

Han Tingxuan examined it carefully and confirmed that the blood should be real blood. If it was cinnabar, it wouldn't be like this.

Those words written with blood were: In such unfair world, hypocrites are tyrannical, and treacherous concubine is manipulating others. They are doomed.

Han Tingxuan thought for a moment. "Looks like they made you discover it on purpose.”

Lou Yanqing nodded. "Yes, I think so too. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have discovered it."

Mo Yanzhi frowned. A moment later, he said, "I see. You can go now."

"Yes," Lou Yanqing didn't stay any longer and turned around to leave.

After Lou Yanqing left, Han Tingxuan was relaxed and sat down on another chair.

"It looks like a she-man’s handwriting. Could it be written by other concubines or Empress Sun?" Han Tingxuan guessed.

Mo Yanzhi said, "During this period of time, the concubines have been much quieter. Now they are making a trouble now."

"Mmm…" Han Tingxuan rubbed his chin. "This isn't a big deal. However, if it was not a curse written by the concubines but some secret code to connect the outside world, it would be troublesome."

Mo Yanzhi was stunned. "What is secret code?"

Han Tingxuan wished that he was overthinking and said, "Perhaps there are spies in the palace. Wait! We haven’t had the doctor tested the handkerchief written in blood.”

Then, Han Tingxuan asked Mo Yanzhi to call the imperial doctor.

Soon, Shen Fangde arrived. He examined the handkerchief in detail and said, "I didn't find anything unusual."

Hearing this, Han Tingxuan felt a little relieved. However, he decided not to leave this dangerous thing to Mo Yanzhi. He said, "Doctor Shen, since there's nothing unusual, we can rest assured. How is his majesty’s wellbeing?"

"Very good," Doctor Shen answered immediately.

Han Tingxuan nodded. "That's good. Doctor Shen, you are dismissed."

After Shen Fangde left, Han Tingxuan said, "It's best not to keep the handkerchief to you. Give it to Liu Yong."

"Liu Yong?" Mo Yanzhi was confused. "Why?"

Han Tingxuan thought about it and said, "He lives in the army. If this thing is really dangerous, it's far away from you."

Mo Yanzhi agreed as he knew that his husband cared about him.

After that, they didn't say anything else. Han Tingxuan couldn't stay in the imperial study for long. After a moment, he left.

Late that night, in a house in City of Capital.

A handsome she-man in purple said, looking at the secret guards on both knees. "You mean the Five Fragrant Bird led you to the security guards?"

"Yes," the secret guard answered.

"Interesting. Interesting. Tian Yuexi is getting more cautious," she-man in purple stood up. It was Yue Youbai who went “missing”.

Moments later, Yue Youbai added, "What information about Han Tingxuan did you get?"

The secret guard immediately handed over the documents.

If Han Tingxuan read it. If Han Tingxuan were here, he would have discovered that every detail about him from his childhood to now, was recorded in those documents.

He might not know some details if he did not search through his memory.

After an hour, Yue Youbai put down the documents.

"He is so different from before. How could a loser become such a character? Did he hide his talent on purpose before? No, impossible. Or is he disguised by someone else?”  Yue Youbai could not help but thinking.

Long time had passed before Yue Youbai destroyed the documents with internal force.

"Han Tingxuan is interesting. Maybe we can cooperate with him."

Han Tingxuan did not know that he was a target to be allied because he was sleeping.

Three days later, Yang Shuo came to visit Han Tingxuan again, but he looked weird.

Han Tingxuan raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

"We hired a new beauty at Bamboo Lane. Her beauty is out of the world! Thanks to him, our business increased by a lot within just three days.”

"Oh? This is a good thing, "Han Tingxuan said.

Yang Shuo smiled and said, "But that beauty said that he likes someone."

"Hmm?" Han Tingxuan suddenly remembered the strange expression on Yang Shuo’s face just now and asked, "Are you saying that he likes me?"

"Yes," Yang Shuo smiled and said, "You are so lucky."

Han Tingxuan was speechless for a moment. Another one after NanGong Yue?

But… "You mean three days?"

Yang Shuo nodded and immediately said, "I also find it too coincidental that he showed up. To be honest, he doesn't look like someone who would end up at a brothel at all. He explained that he was a refugee from the City of Jade and refused to say more in detail, but I don't believe any words he said. However, he seemed to be very interested in Bamboo Lane, so I took him in. For one reason, I would like to see if he has anything to do with poisoning the she-men at Bamboo Lane.”

Han Tingxuan nodded without saying anything more because Yang Shuo had already seen the problem behind it.

"Mmm, you know what to do."

Yang Shuo looked at Han Tingxuan and said, "But he has to get you involved. I suspect that his target is you."

Han Tingxuan was not surprised by this. He said lightly, "I won't go there.Since he can bring benefits to Bamboo Lane, no matter what his purpose is, wait until he earns enough money for us.”

Yang Shuo's eyes brightened. "That’s a good idea!”

They wrapped up the conversation with the decision.

New Year was getting closer and closer. As the original plan went, Mo Yanzhi and Lou Yanqing would disappear on the fifth day of New Year. But the Yue Empire would visit on the eighth day.

They had to put off their plan. Han Tingxuan frowned, hoping that those people could leave early.

It would be disturbing when they were here.

Han Tingxuan decided to go to Restaurant of Bon Appetite. The business in Restaurant of Bon Appetite had been booming recently, so he wondered if he should introduce two more dishes.

The Restaurant of Bon Appetite in the City of Jade was also running very well. Although it was not better than the one in the City of Capital, it was the leading restaurant in the city.

On the other hand, the business in the City of Chill did not run very well. The City of Chill was close to the border where people lived in a less wealthy condition than the two other cities. As the Restaurant of Bon Appetite targeted to wealthy customers, the business was running very well. Therefore, a change was needed.

The Restaurant of Bon Appetite had three floors, one price level for each floor. But they were all in one building.

It would be better to separate the three floors of the Restaurant of Bon Appetite in City of Chill.

Han Tingxuan was too focused on the question to watch what was surrounding him. He almost bumped into someone. Luckily, Shadow Four stopped him in time!

The person Han Tingxuan almost bumped into was an acquaintance! It was Zhou Yueqing!

Zhou Yueqing was a real talent. Han Tingxuan did not have much contact with him in State of Qing, but after he arrived at State of Qi, Zhou Yueqing introduced himself to Han Tingxuan, asking to work for him as an assistant.

However, Han Tingxuan did not want to hire any assistant. He told Zhou Yueqing that he needed to think about it.

After a few days, Han Tingxuan told him to take an entrance test to become an official.

Surprisingly, Zhou Yueqing actually came to City of Capital!

Zhou Yueqing was also very surprised when he saw Han Tingxuan. Han Tingxuan could tell from his eyes that this surprise was real, not a fake!

Thus, Han Tingxuan smiled. "Mr. Zhou?"

Zhou Yueqing hurriedly bowed. "Zhou Yueqing at your service.”

Han Tingxuan waved his hand. "Stand up straight."

Zhou Yueqing stood up straight.

Han Tingxuan asked. "When did you come to City of Capital?"

Zhou Yueqing hurriedly said, "Five days ago. I have a friend who lost contact with me half a month ago. I sent him a few letters without getting a reply. I am worried about him. The new year is approaching. Coincidentally, my father has some etiquette letters to send to other officials, so I am sending them personally."

The smile on Han Tingxuan's face was more sincere Zhou Yueqing had explained the whole thing including letters of his father Zhou Rong.

Although it was an unwritten rule to send festival letters among officials, people would not normally say it out loud. Because it was easy to know which side he took and who were his friends.

"Is your friend in the neighborhood?"

"Yes!" Zhou Yueqing said. "My friend and I usually meet outside. Although I know his address, I am still new to the City of Capital. I was too focused on looking for the address just now to notice you. Sorry that I did not watch you in the first place.”

Han Tingxuan waved his hand. "No worries. Can you tell me the address?"

Zhou Yueqing said the address. It was indeed in this area, but it was somewhere behind where they were. The address was kind of where rich people lived. It seemed that Zhou Yueqing's friend was not an ordinary person.

“It is way behind here. Not easy to go there. I can take you there.” Han Tingxuan was not being kindhearted, but he wanted to leave a good impression on Zhou Yueqing since he decided to take Zhou Yueqing to his side.

Zhou Yueqing was pleasantly surprised. But he said hurriedly, "If it is not much trouble…"

Han Tingxuan waved his hand. "Alright, let's go."

Zhou Yueqing did not say anything else.

On the way over, Han Tingxuan asked him about his studies. The exam would be in March next year, only a few months later.

Zhou Yueqing answered cautiously, but it was not difficult to tell that he was very confident in himself.

Han Tingxuan had already an idea of his talent. He even tried to pick a position for Zhou Yueqing in his mind.

A moment later, the two of them arrived at a house, Residence of Xi.

Han Tingxuan was a little surprised, then he thought of a person: Xi Yan.

Xi family was a famous rich business family in City of Capital. When Mo Yanzhi first arrived at City of Capital, Xi Yan had come to visit Mo Yanzhi with NanGong Yue.

At that time, Han Tingxuan had asked Mo Yanzhi to make friends with them. Afterwards, his male wife told him that he had a good impression on Xi Yan.

Han Tingxuan had never seen Xi Yan himself. Who would have thought that he might be Zhou Yueqing’s friend.

"Mr. Zhou, may I know your friend's name?"

"Xi Yan," Zhou Yueqing immediately said.

Han Tingxuan smiled and told him everything. "Yanzhi had a good impression on Xi Yan. What a coincidence to hear his name from you. I bet he must be an excellent person.”

Zhou Yueqing also felt that it was a coincidence and smiled. "He is indeed a good person."

"Alright. Here you are. I’ve done my job. I should go now.”

"Thank you for taking me here. Otherwise, I would spend much longer time looking for this place.”

Han Tingxuan smiled and was about to leave. He did not intend to stay. He might not be welcome to join their private conversation.

However, the moment Han Tingxuan was about to leave, an accident happened at the gate.

"Go away! We don’t have a disgraceful loser like you in the family! Go! You are not one of our Xi family! If you tell anyone that you are, I will definitely beat you to death!”

With a roar, a person was thrown out.

Zhou Yueqing and Han Tingxuan could not help but look over.

Zhou Yueqing was even more shocked. "Xi Yan!"